Missouri Laws 577.300 – Leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle — first and second degree — ..
1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) “Collision”, the act of a motor vehicle coming into contact with an object or a person;
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class C felony | between 3 and 10 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 577.300
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) “Injures”, to cause physical harm to the body of a person;
(3) “Motor vehicle”, any automobile, truck, truck-tractor, or any motor bus or motor-propelled vehicle not exclusively operated or driven on fixed rails or tracks;
(4) “Unattended”, not accompanied by an individual fourteen years of age or older.
2. A person commits the offense of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the first degree if such person knowingly leaves a child less than eleven years of age unattended in a motor vehicle and such child fatally injures another person by causing a motor vehicle collision or by causing the motor vehicle to fatally injure a pedestrian.
3. Leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the first degree is a class C felony.
4. A person commits the offense of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the second degree if such person knowingly leaves a child less than eleven years of age unattended in a motor vehicle and such child injures another person by causing a motor vehicle collision or by causing the motor vehicle to injure a pedestrian.
5. The offense of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.